There is a plant that is used for almost every thing. It is used in construction, used for making yarn and fabric, jewelry, tools and other implements, pulp for paper, medicine, used as food and even use to make musical instruments. Not only this, it is the fastest growing woody plant on Earth. Yes, it is true. There is rather a kind of grass called Bamboo.

    It has been clocked surging skyward as fast as 121 cm (47.6 inches) in a 24-hour period and can also reach maximal growth rate exceeding one meter (39 inches) per hour for short periods of time. Many prehistoric bamboos exceeded heights of 250 feet.

    Bamboos play an important role in local economies throughout the world and are of major national and international commercial importance in the Asia-Pacific region. It is estimated that 2.5 billion people depend on or use bamboo materials valued at US$ 7 billion per annum.

    There are more than 70 genera divided into about 1,000 species. They are found in diverse climates, from cold mountains to hot tropical regions. They occur across East Asia, from 50°N latitude in Sakhalin through to Northern Australia, and west to India and the Himalayas. They also occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Americas from the Southeastern United States south to Argentina and Chile, reaching their southernmost point anywhere, at 47°S latitude.

    This fast growing plant can help us in a lot of ways. Because of its high rate of growth it can form one of the biggest contributors of reducing greenhouse gases. It can grow at almost every kind of place makes it flexible enough for mass plantation. The pulp it gives is used for so many different purposes. It can be used as bio-fuel to produce electricity, for paper production. Especially in developing countries where it grows it can provide a source of income and employment. It has already shown its commercial importance so I think the governments should take a more proactive role in developing bamboo in places where other crops cannot be grown. So you see the two most important E’s environment and economy can get some help from bamboo.

    With all these valuable traits the bamboo is rally a miracle plant.

    有一種植物幾乎能用來作任何事情。它可用在建筑、紗和織物、裝飾品、工具和其他器具、紙、藥物和食品,甚至用來作樂器。不僅如此,它還是地球上生長最快的木質植物。是的,這都是千真萬確，它是一種草本植物，我們稱它叫“竹子”。

    它總是不停地向上猛長,速度快到在二十四小時內就能長到121厘米長,而且在某一短暫的期間里,最快生長極限每小時可達一米之長。許多史前的竹子,它的高度超過250尺，也就是說超過75米。

    竹子在世界各國對本土的經濟扮演著重要的角色,以及在亞太地區也起著國內與國際商業的重要作用。估計每年有二十五億的人在從事或使用竹子方面的材料，其價值達到七十億美元。

    竹子有七十多的屬類,大約細分成1000種類。它們適于生長在不同的氣候里,從寒冷的山脈到炎熱地區都有它們的身影。它們出沒在從北緯50度到南緯47度的范圍，縱慣東亞到北緯50度的庫頁島到奧大利亞北部,向西到達印度和喜馬拉雅山脈;它們也出現在非洲的南沙哈拉地帶及以南地區;以及在美洲,從美國東南地區向南到阿根廷和智利,到達最南部的一處——南緯47度的地方。

    這種快速生長的植物在許多方面對我們都很有好處。由于它們的高生長率,可以對降低溫室氣體方面作出巨大貢獻。由于它們幾乎可以生長在任何地方,因此有利于大批量的種植。竹漿可以用作許多不同的用途,用它作生物燃料發電,用它制作紙品。尤其是,在產竹的發展中國家,它可成為一種創收和就職的來源。由此它已經顯示出了它們商業上的重要性,所以,我認為政府應該更積極主動地在其他作物無法種植的地方種植竹子。這樣你就看到了兩方面最重要的現象——環境和經濟都可以從竹子中受益。

    竹子有了以上這些寶貴的特征,它名副其實是一種神奇的植物。